Select Chromebooks are getting Android apps any day now and if you aren’t already as excited as me, we (finally) have the video of the announcement event from Google I/O to help get you there. This video, in case you were wondering, is of the mini press event that Google held during I/O to both […]

Select Chromebooks are getting Android apps any day now and if you aren’t already as excited as me, we (finally) have the video of the announcement event from Google I/O to help get you there. This video, in case you were wondering, is of the mini press event that Google held during I/O to both announce and demonstrate how Android apps will work on Chrome OS.

During the roughly 25-minute briefing, Google not only walked through scenarios where the seamless integration of Android apps in Chrome OS can help you really get things done, just like you would on a full-blown PC, but they also “geeked out” a bit on how all of this works. The talk notes the Linux container they use to run Android Framework in, on top of Chrome OS, which allows them to keep up with security and have an integrated UI.

I’m telling you again, this is pretty game-changing stuff for Chromebooks. Here is that list, one more time, of the Chromebooks that will soon have Android app support.

Since we ran out of time last week, thanks to travel schedules and all that, it’s time to recap Google I/O 2016 on the DL Show. After a weekend off, we’ve had time to fully digest all that Google announced, which should mean more well-rounded thoughts, or something, right? Hah, don’t give us that much credit. On […]

Since we ran out of time last week, thanks to travel schedules and all that, it’s time to recap Google I/O 2016 on the DL Show. After a weekend off, we’ve had time to fully digest all that Google announced, which should mean more well-rounded thoughts, or something, right? Hah, don’t give us that much credit.

On this episode, we will indeed be diving into the biggest announcements from the event, though. That means Google Home, Assistant, Daydream, Allo, Android Wear 2.0, N, and all of the ATAP madness will get some air time. We’ll try not to make this a 3-hour episode, but you just never know.

Join us at 1:00PM Pacific (4:00PM Eastern) for the fun.

If you miss us live, feel free to subscribe to us by following one of the links below. We have a video embed as well and will be chatting it up over at the YouTube page for the show. You can find it here.

During Google I/O last week, Google showed off Android Wear 2.0, the biggest update the platform has ever seen. They told us to expect it later this year on consumer devices, but did push out a developer preview to the Huawei Watch and LG Watch Urbane LTE for those interested in getting their apps ready […]

During Google I/O last week, Google showed off Android Wear 2.0, the biggest update the platform has ever seen. They told us to expect it later this year on consumer devices, but did push out a developer preview to the Huawei Watch and LG Watch Urbane LTE for those interested in getting their apps ready ahead of time. It’s also available for those of us who live on the bleeding, buggy edge of all things Android. Yep, that means we flashed 2.0 to a Huawei Watch to take it for a spin.

In this build, in case you missed last week’s coverage, we get new ways to navigate Android Wear including an emphasis on using the physical button on the side of a watch as a back button instead of the swipe we are all used to. Swipes from the home screen also work differently and now launch you into the watch face chooser when done from side-to-side. The UI for notifications is no longer a card style and is instead a more fluid Material Design layout with full-screen pages. There are new ways to interact, like with a keyboard, as well.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/23/video-android-wear-2-0-first-look-tour/feed/29Poll: Will You Buy a Chromebook Once They Get Android Apps?http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/20/poll-will-buy-chromebook-get-android-apps/
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/20/poll-will-buy-chromebook-get-android-apps/#commentsFri, 20 May 2016 21:30:24 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=186718

Google’s big day 2 announcement at Google I/O centered around the Google Play store and Android apps making their way onto Chromebooks. I followed up that news by writing up a bunch (probably too many) of words on why I think this is a major game-changer and potentially puts the final nail in the Android […]

In the early days, we talked about Chromebooks not being powerful enough and lacking the utilities many of us needed to get by on most days. With Android apps, that could (and should) all change, since Google Play includes an app for just about every single one of our favorite PC services.

Obviously, I think this is a huge deal and will take a great deal of time to test out the new functionality once it arrives, but I’m curious to know what the majority of you are thinking now. Are Android apps on Chromebooks enough to get you to buy one? If not, why?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The inner geek in all of us should still be giggling at all of the fun stuff Google’s ATAP team announced on stage today at Google I/O. If you missed it, we’ll be sure to share the session once it has been uploaded. (EDIT: WATCH IT HERE!) The ATAP team not only gave us a […]

The inner geek in all of us should still be giggling at all of the fun stuff Google’s ATAP team announced on stage today at Google I/O. If you missed it, we’ll be sure to share the session once it has been uploaded. (EDIT: WATCH IT HERE!)

Through a partnership with Levi’s, we’ll all be able to buy a new jacket that is outfitted with Jacquard technologies within the next year. The jacket is called the Commuter Trucker jacket and it was designed for city bike commuters, or those who just want a sweet new denim jacket with some tech inside.

Not familiar with Jacquard? It was first unveiled at Google I/O last year as a fabric that was weaved with technology, so that you could touch it or swipe gestures across it to perform tasks through a smartphone or other device. Think about swiping across your pants to change music tracks, answer a call, etc.

It took some time for them to get the weave perfected for this denim jacket, but they have reached the point where they are ready to start production, again, only a year after they first showed off the concept.

Below, you can see the dongle-esque (or “smart tag”) device that powers the weave, along with the subtle weaved pattern that you can touch. That smart tag can be removed when you are ready to wash your jacket. I don’t know that they have specifically mentioned this, but that smart tag likely has Bluetooth and a battery which connects to your phone to make the magic happen.

This is only the first of what could be many articles of clothing to adopt Jacquard. But for now, you can see how close the future is and how smart everything in our lives has become.

In these couple of clips, you will get to see how they make the denim for this jacket with Jacquard embedded and also what it could be like for a biker commuter to use the jacket during daily rides.

Today during the ATAP session at Google I/O (EDIT: WATCH IT HERE!), Google provided an update on Project Ara, the modular phone concept from Google that we were starting to think might have been shelved. During the short session, Google showed off the latest prototypes, told us when to expect developer and consumer units, and maybe […]

Today during the ATAP session at Google I/O (EDIT: WATCH IT HERE!), Google provided an update on Project Ara, the modular phone concept from Google that we were starting to think might have been shelved. During the short session, Google showed off the latest prototypes, told us when to expect developer and consumer units, and maybe more importantly, showed hot swapping of modules in real-time, one of which was controlled by voice.

The full ATAP session is worth watching, once Google posts it, but for now, let’s talk about the Ara news, because it’s big.

Google announced that developer units of Ara will be available this fall in preparation for a consumer launch next year (2017). They seem set on these dates and timelines, plus with the demos they showed today, I’m tempted to believe them.

The latest Ara prototype looks like the devices above and below. It’s simpler and more beautiful, includes six slots for swapping modules into, and is the closest we have seen to a potentially finished device. The new frame includes the phone’s CPU, GPU, antennas, sensors, battery and display, in case you were wondering.

Modules are connected to it via new latch system to help modules stay locked on securely. They connect to the phone through Google’s Greybus software, that allows instant connections of modules to immediately work with Android (and transfer data up to 11.9 Gbps). That basically means hot-swapping.

To detach, you can tell the Ara app to release a module, which then ejects it, or you can tell Google to do it with a command like, “OK, Google, eject camera module.” And seriously, they demoed this on stage today and it was pretty neat.

The new modules can be outfitted in different textures and finishes, helping you create a modular phone that is both functionality and unique.

Along with all of that news, the Ara team shared this video, which takes you on a day in the life of an Ara phone owner.

Pretty impressive stuff from ATAP and Ara. Now, let’s see if they can hit those promised timelines. To learn more, head over to the updated Ara site.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/20/googles-atap-just-showed-off-sweet-gestured/feed/78Winners of the First Google Play Awards Include Robinhood, Houzz, Alphabearhttp://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/20/winners-first-google-play-awards-include-robinhood-houzz-alphabear/
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/20/winners-first-google-play-awards-include-robinhood-houzz-alphabear/#commentsFri, 20 May 2016 15:01:30 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=186667

During an evening presentation at Google I/O last night, Google announced winners for their first ever Google Play Awards. After announcing a handful of apps for a handful of categories (like “Best use of Material Design” and “Best game”) a few weeks back, we now know who reigns supreme in the eyes of Google’s “panel […]

During an evening presentation at Google I/O last night, Google announced winners for their first ever Google Play Awards. After announcing a handful of apps for a handful of categories (like “Best use of Material Design” and “Best game”) a few weeks back, we now know who reigns supreme in the eyes of Google’s “panel of experts on the Google Play team.”

And the winners are:

Best app: Houzz

Best families app: Thinkrolls 2

Best game: Clash Royale

Best use of Material Design: Robinhood

Best use of Google Play Game Services: Table Tennis Touch

Early adopter: World Around Me

Go global: Pokemon Shuffle Mobile

Most innovative: NYT VR

Standout indie: Alphabear

Standout startup: Hopper

Big user of any of those apps? Houzz is certainly a wonderful app that probably deserves the win there. Robinhood is also a very well made app. I haven’t used many of the others, but really would have liked to have seen Alto’s Adventure snag the “best game” award.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/20/winners-first-google-play-awards-include-robinhood-houzz-alphabear/feed/15Which Chromebooks Will Get Google Play and Android Apps?http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/19/chromebooks-will-get-google-play-android-apps/
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/19/chromebooks-will-get-google-play-android-apps/#commentsThu, 19 May 2016 21:32:19 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=186633

These. To be more specific, there are three Chromebooks that will gain access in mid-June before the rest of the field gets in on the action later this year. Here are those first three: Acer Chromebook R11 Asus Chromebook Flip Google Chromebook Pixel (2015) And here are a number of the others gaining support from some […]

To be more specific, there are three Chromebooks that will gain access in mid-June before the rest of the field gets in on the action later this year.

Here are those first three:

Acer Chromebook R11

Asus Chromebook Flip

Google Chromebook Pixel (2015)

And here are a number of the others gaining support from some of the bigger manufacturers in the business. If you aren’t seeing yours, feel free to look at the list I linked at the top of this post for all supported models.

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/19/chromebooks-will-get-google-play-android-apps/feed/40Google Confirms That It is Making a VR Headset for Daydreamhttp://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/19/google-confirms-making-vr-headset/
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/19/google-confirms-making-vr-headset/#commentsThu, 19 May 2016 21:02:16 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=186616

This morning, during the “VR at Google” session here at Google I/O, Google’s VP of virtual reality, Clay Bavor, confirmed that the company is making its own VR headset. He didn’t provide specifics (like name or release date), only that they are indeed working on a product that is outside of the reference design they […]

This morning, during the “VR at Google” session here at Google I/O, Google’s VP of virtual reality, Clay Bavor, confirmed that the company is making its own VR headset. He didn’t provide specifics (like name or release date), only that they are indeed working on a product that is outside of the reference design they built for other manufacturers to use.

During the session, Google also showed off the Daydream controller and how it will work in a virtual environment. Unlike Samsung’s Gear VR that uses a pad on the side of the head unit for interacting, Google’s vision is of separate headset and handheld motion controller.

In the video below, you can see just how that action might play out.

For reference, here is an image of the reference design that Google was talking about. You can see the simple headset design next to a controller that looks a lot like something that might be built for Android TV. Or maybe you are seeing a lot of the Gear VR here, which would also make sense.

I’m certainly excited about Google’s VR work, but can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed at the moment. You can only get so hyped for a product that doesn’t actually exist yet. And honestly, that’s sort of the take away at the moment from this year’s I/O – future products that we are dying to play with but can’t.

Google just spent a special session here at I/O, telling the press that Chrome OS and Chromebooks are gaining access to Google Play. And yep, that means Android apps running on your Chromebook. That’s….a huge announcement! We’re getting a preview of the news right now, so stick with this page as we continue to update it. […]

Google just spent a special session here at I/O, telling the press that Chrome OS and Chromebooks are gaining access to Google Play. And yep, that means Android apps running on your Chromebook. That’s….a huge announcement!

We’re getting a preview of the news right now, so stick with this page as we continue to update it.

UPDATE 2: Google announced that Chromebooks topped Macs in sales to become the #2 PC OS for Q1 of this year. To help celebrate that news, they are bringing Google Play and Android apps to all of those devices (eventually).

It shouldn’t be difficult for developers to get their apps ready for Chromebooks. In fact, they may not have to do much, as Google says this all just runs right over the top of Chrome OS.

Google Play will start hitting (mid-June) the developer channel with M53 on the ASUS Chromebook Flip, Acer Chromebook R 11, and the newest Chromebook Pixel. They’ll add it to other Chromebooks too, but told us that they won’t have more details for another few months.

UPDATE 3: You can view the full list of Chromebooks that will get Android apps here. It’s massive, in case you were wondering, and appears to include most of the modern models. The support site there only says that these will gain support “later” this year.

UPDATE 4: For developers, Google is sharing details on how to get your apps ready here.

Google I/O 2016 is far from over and we have much more to cover, but after the blockbuster keynote from yesterday wrapped and we took the rest of the day to digest all that was announced, we want to know what impressed you the most. Were you blown away by Google Home or Assistant? Does […]

Google I/O 2016 is far from over and we have much more to cover, but after the blockbuster keynote from yesterday wrapped and we took the rest of the day to digest all that was announced, we want to know what impressed you the most.

Were you blown away by Google Home or Assistant? Does Daydream live up to all of your VR dreams? Are you ready to adopt Allo as your next messaging client and ditch Hangouts? Maybe you just care about the stable-enough Android N Developer Preview 3 that was released? Something else stuck out, perhaps?

Let us know!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Google didn’t mention much about Android Auto yesterday during either the keynote or through their barrage of blog posts once that wrapped, but they are sharing big changes with media and in the I/O Sandbox. The changes include a phone mode that allows you to use your phone as your Android Auto unit, incoming Waze […]

Google didn’t mention much about Android Auto yesterday during either the keynote or through their barrage of blog posts once that wrapped, but they are sharing big changes with media and in the I/O Sandbox. The changes include a phone mode that allows you to use your phone as your Android Auto unit, incoming Waze support, and a really cool concept that is Google’s vision for a full-blown in-car infotainment suite.

The first bit of Auto news that is likely to impact you has to be the introduction of a phone mode, where your phone can become the Android Auto device. Another way to put that would be to consider the idea of your car no longer needing an Android Auto-capable infotainment device, since your phone is that device. Think of it as the return of the Android car app that we had so long ago, only it’s Android Auto’s new pretty UI.

This also means that you get Android Auto’s features, like “voice-enabled calling, media, messaging and navigation with a new driver-friendly interface.” The Android Auto for phones will arrive as an update to the Android Auto app in the near future.

Outside of the phone news, Google announced that Waze is coming as an app/service for Android Auto within the next “few” months. According to Google, this has been the top requested feature. They are tossing in hotwording, where you can activate voice by saying “OK Google,” and also bringing more apps from car manufacturers, Honda and Hyundai included. Finally, they are showing how Android Auto can be projected to screens in cars that have WiFi, something that should happen more and more in the future.

Last, but certainly not least, Google is showing off a concept infotainment system that has been setup to run inside of a Maserati. This isn’t just a a stock Maserati system with Google running over the top. Instead, they custom built a system, along with Qualcomm, that includes a 15-inch 4K display to showcase it all, that shows info in 720p clusters.

The concept allows Google to control everything, not just the Android Auto stuff. Thanks to the custom software and Android N, it can power a car’s HVAC, AM/FM radio, digital instruments, and almost anything else your standard infotainment system would.

See, big news. I don’t know why Google didn’t make a bigger splash with this stuff, because the Android Auto experience is about to be tested by us all.

One of the most fascinating announcements to come out of yesterday’s Google I/O keynote came during the end of the 2-hour long presentation that had already rattled off news of Google Home, Assistant, Allo, Android Wear 2.0, and a new Daydream VR platform. The idea was not expected and certainly wowed a few in the […]

One of the most fascinating announcements to come out of yesterday’s Google I/O keynote came during the end of the 2-hour long presentation that had already rattled off news of Google Home, Assistant, Allo, Android Wear 2.0, and a new Daydream VR platform. The idea was not expected and certainly wowed a few in the crowd. I’m talking about Android Instant Apps, of course, a new project that Google is working that allows you and I to use an app without having to first install it.

The thought here is that getting access to an app should be as fast as finding and loading up a web page. Instead of doing a Google search, finding the information you want in an app, tapping on it to then install it, waiting for that to complete, and then moving on to your content, Google just wants you to be able to tap, load up the content you were looking for within the app, and be on to the next task.

How does that work, you ask? Google says that developers are going to have to “modularize” their apps, so that when you and I come hunting for info and it’s available in an app, Google Play can quickly load it up on our phones by only pulling in the “parts that are needed.” So as you tap on an app in Google Search, the app loads and looks like the app needed, but it’s not the full experience. You would still need to download and install the app to get that.

Instant Apps allow you to do plenty of things, like shopping for items with full checkout experiences and Android Pay, or paying for parking through a parking app that you never intend to install.

Google is rolling this idea out slowly and only working with select developers at this time, developers like Buzzfeed, B&H Photo, Medium, Hotel Tonight, and Disney. They did say that many developers could have their apps ready for Instant Apps within about a day, though, so converting it into this modular concept may not be all that difficult.

Google may have surprised many with yesterday’s introduction of Allo, a WhatsApp-like messaging client, but I think it’s safe to assume that a number of us quickly went from, “This looks like a great app!” to “But wait, what happens to Hangouts?” According to Google, Hangouts isn’t going anywhere for the time being. A spokesperson […]

Google may have surprised many with yesterday’s introduction of Allo, a WhatsApp-like messaging client, but I think it’s safe to assume that a number of us quickly went from, “This looks like a great app!” to “But wait, what happens to Hangouts?” According to Google, Hangouts isn’t going anywhere for the time being.

A spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that Google will “continuing to invest in Hangouts and it will remain a standalone product.”

While Allo has the potential to confuse those trying to figure out which messaging app of Google’s they should use (let’s not forget about Messenger either), it does make sense for Hangouts to live on. After all, Allo only requires that you have a phone number, not a Google account. On the flip side, with Hangouts, you still have a messaging platform that is deeply embedded in Google products because it does require a Google connection. Allo is very much a stand-alone client that has Google built inside of it. That make sense?

]]>http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/19/even-allo-way-google-says-hangouts-wont-go-anywhere/feed/142Google Play Beta Tests Will Soon be Easier Than Ever to Joinhttp://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/18/google-play-beta-tests-will-soon-easier-ever-join/
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/05/18/google-play-beta-tests-will-soon-easier-ever-join/#commentsWed, 18 May 2016 23:46:37 +0000http://www.droid-life.com/?p=186549

Joining a group to a beta version of an app on Android hasn’t exactly been the simplest of tasks. It typically involves finding out or knowing about a Google+ group or Google Group that hosts the beta, then clicking through a special link in that group to opt-in to testing, before moving onto Google Play […]

Joining a group to a beta version of an app on Android hasn’t exactly been the simplest of tasks. It typically involves finding out or knowing about a Google+ group or Google Group that hosts the beta, then clicking through a special link in that group to opt-in to testing, before moving onto Google Play to get the beta installed. See what I mean?

Thankfully, those days of jumping through hoops to get involved in a public beta will be in the past. During Google I/O, Google announced that beta tests will become easier to find and participate in because they will start showing up in Google Play search results, assuming they are open and not in production. Through the beta listing, you will be able to opt-in and also send developers private feedback.

This new beta setup has already appeared briefly in Google Play, so it may happen more broadly within the coming days or weeks. Either way, joining beta tests should be easier than ever.